and

Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author.

Similar to the significant transformation now occurring within the finance and accounting filed, we expect that there will be similar new alignments necessary in the legal profession to align with the new Knowledge Economy. In short, the previous focus on the content specifically (i.e., copyright, patent, trademark et al) will likely shit more toward the innovation process itself.

World Intellectual Property Day

April 26 was World Intellectual Property Day, an opportunity to highlight the significance of creativity and innovation in people's daily lives and in the betterment of society. To mark the occasion, WIPO Director General Dr. Kamil Idris issued the following message:

“’Encouraging Creativity’, the theme of this year’s World Intellectual Property Day, springs from the World Intellectual Property Organization’s conviction that human inventiveness, harnessed by the intellectual property system, is key to generating wealth, raising living standards and enriching our global cultural heritage. The ability to generate original and useful ideas and imagine a better future has fuelled human progress since the beginning of time, generating a stream of life-enhancing breakthroughs in areas such as environmental protection, food security and healthcare, and a richer choice of music, films, and books. WIPO is committed to the development of a universal culture of creativity, in which the intellectual property system is widely used to strengthen economic performance and enhance wealth creation for the betterment of all. The components of the intellectual property system such as patents, trademarks, and copyright are powerful tools to capture the value of creativity and knowledge to promote economic and cultural development. It is our mission at WIPO to encourage use of this system to realize the creative potential that lies in us all. This will help make this world a better place for current and future generations.”

To mark their event, the WIPO created an interactive tour of intellectual property, produced a 30-second video spot on the theme, a list of suggested activities, and the creation of the WIPO Creativity Award.

Many countries heard:

Ordinarily, we hear about the trademark and patent activities of industrialized nations. You might want to check out the events Antigua to Zimbabwe that were held in conjunction with World Intellectual Property Day - http://www.wipo.int/news/en/index.html. There were television and radio broadcast events, interviews with officers from the High Courts, feature newspaper articles, presentations by Ministers and other state officials, conferences, seminars, workshops, videos/films, book fairs, published articles, awards, national posters, musical and dance programs, and even rallies – all drawing attention to the importance of creativity, knowledge and the process of innovation to put ideas into practice. Some examples:

Ø       Australia has National Innovation Awareness Council.

Ø       Benin has a WIPO medal for creativity.

Ø       Cuba inaugurated its training program with an ‘Aula Internacional.”

Ø       Fiji published articles outlining he Regionally Focused Action Plan (RFAP).

Ø       Georgia produced translated versions of WIPO publications.

Ø       Ghana held a workshop “Encouraging Creativity” in conjunction with the UN.

Ø       India created the Diamond Jubilee Invention Award.

Ø       Indonesia issued the WIPO Creativity Medal.

Ø       Iran held regional workshops on technology management and commercialization.

Ø       Jamaica organized an open day exhibition and television broadcast.

Ø       Kazakhstan issued a radio broadcast of the WIPO Secretary General.

Ø       Kenya acknowledged drama and music festivals along with a technological exhibition of the National Student Congress on Science and Technology.

Ø       Kyrgyz Republic organized a technical works creative competition with the theme of ‘Intellectuals of the XXI Century.”

Ø       Lithuania held exhibitions, awards ceremonies and videos on local television.

Ø       Malawi produced editorials in the local press.

Ø       Malaysia hosted an international conference on recent developments in Intellectual Property in Kuala Lumpur.

Ø       Malta students participated in the Young Enterprise HSBC Company Programme.

Ø       Mauritania held a ceremony bridging the Ministry of Mines and Industry and the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Orientation with presentations from the Association of Inventors and Innovators and the Association of Writers and Poets.

Ø       Mongolia held an Invention Fair during which the WIPO Gold Medal for outstanding Inventors was awarded.

Ø       Namibia’s Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Information and Broadcasting, Basic Education, Culture and Sport, Trade and Industry issued a joint press statement.

Ø       Nepal hosted a ceremonial program.

Ø       Republic of Moldova hosted workshops and issued a leaflet on Moldova’s Outstanding Inventors.

Ø       Romania held a press conference with regional activities throughout the country.

Ø       Samoa held a training awareness program for small businesses.

Ø       Sri Lanka hosted a national seminar with messages to 500 Young Inventor’s Clubs all over the country.

Ø       Trinidad held motivational workshops on ‘collective management.’

Ø       Uzbekistan held competitions for the best inventor and best program of the nation.

Ø       Yugoslavia held exhibitions and promoted the (unpublished) “Diary from Strasbourg” by Nikola Tesla.

Ø       Zimbabwe hosted a reception, celebratory march, and concert with plans for a follow-on All African Co-ordination Conference in Harare.